1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention lies within the oral hygiene art. In particular, it lies within the art of providing a pressurized source of fluid, such as water, to a user's mouth for purposes of irrigated removal of bacterial plaque and other deleterious residue and food particles.
2. The Prior Art
The prior art related to the scrubbing and irrigated removal of bacterial plaque and residue incorporates various professional dental equipment and home remedies. The professional dental equipment incorporates individual irrigation means in the form of sprays under pressure from various nozzles and configurations that are used in adjacent relationship to a dental chair. In addition thereto, various means for scrubbing residue and bacterial plaque from a user's teeth have been incorporated with rotary driven devices by means of linkages and belts that are well known in the art.
In addition to the foregoing dental usages, there are various means for irrigating teeth by certain home remedies. In particular, one has been particularly popular which incorporates a pulsating flow of fluid out of a nozzle that can be placed in adjacent relationship to the gums. The pulsating source of fluid is sold under various trademarks and has been broadly utilized. The flow of fluid usually is directed toward the interface between the gums and the teeth, or the area between each respective tooth in order to provide a flushing or irrigation of any residue, bacterial plaque or food particles therein.
The drawback of the foregoing device is that it does not sufficiently abrade or remove the material on the surface of the teeth. This is due to the inability to provide sufficient fluid pressure for flushing or hydraulically removing the food particles and in particular, bacterial plaque and residue. If the hydraulic pressure were sufficient to remove the bacterial plaque and residue on the surface of the teeth, it would possibly damage the gums and the teeth, as well as portions of the oral cavity. The foregoing is particularly true when the hydraulic pressure engages the gum line or the area between the teeth. Such gear surges and hydraulic pressures tend to disengage the gums from the interface of the teeth if used with sufficient pressure to dislodge a substantial amount of coating material from the teeth. Furthermore, inasmuch as bacterial plaque is substantially lodged and adhered to the surface of the teeth, it becomes difficult to remove it by hydraulic pressure.
As a consequence of the foregoing, the only practical way today of removing bacterial plaque, residue and certain coatings from the teeth is by means of scrubbing with a brush or through the utilization of dental floss and certain picks and interfacial tooth cleaners. Aside from the foregoing, there is no practical way of removing the residue and bacterial plaque. Furthermore, there is no way of removing the foregoing with an irrigating process in concert therewith.
This invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art by allowing a simultaneous irrigation and scrubbing process for the removal of bacterial plaque, residue and food particles, without damaging the gumline or teeth. This is accomplished by an irrigation of sufficient pressure to flush the bacterial plaque and residue from the teeth that has been removed through the scrubber that is utilized with the irrigator.
The scrubber incorporates a channel through which irrigating fluid can be provided. At the same time, the scrubber incorporates a number of scrubbing surfaces that have been relieved from a general concavity or a depression within the scrubber. The scrubber is in the form of a scrubbing cup or other concave or depressed member having a peripheral wall which can serve a portion of the scrubbing function, while at the same time having a number of ribs or protuberances which provide a relieved surface for scrubbing.
The scrubber is of sufficient flexibility and resiliency to be slightly flattened during its scrubbing mode so as to open up the depressed area for the exposure of the relieved surface to a greater degree. In this manner, the relieved surface or ribs of a scrubbing cup can be rubbed across the surface of the teeth and the gumline, for removal of bacterial plaque, residue and food particles. During the removal process, an irrigation and flushing thereof takes place or the irrigation and flushing can be turned on at a later point in time for irrigated removal of the scrubbed residue and bacterial plaque.
During normal use of the scrubber, there is a buildup of fluid pressure between the scrubbing cup and the tooth surface. This pressure is then released all at once in the area of the sub-gingival area of the gums. This condition is undesirable since it has been shown to predispose the gingival area to low grade infection. According to a particular feature of the invention the peripheral wall of the scrubbing cup is provided with a series of vents in the form of notches, slits and the like. Upon contact of the scrubber with the tooth surface, the wall of the scrubber fans outwardly like separate flower petals. This permits the fluid pressure to be released gradually through the vents, while at the same time aiding the scrubbing away of plaque and other debris and the subsequent rinsing away thereof.
The foregoing device creates a combination which has been unknown to the prior art and which is particularly beneficial in the maintenance of good dental health and hygiene. As a consequence, it is a substantial step over the prior art and should be read broadly in light of the following specification in consideration of the claims that follow hereinafter.